American Chemical Society facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
American Chemical Society

Formation	April 6, 1876; 149 years ago (1876-04-06)
Type	Scientific society
Legal status	501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Location	United States
Membership	more than 155,000
President	Mary K. Carroll
Key people	Albert G. Horvath (CEO)
Budget (2016)	US$528 million

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a large group of scientists in the United States. It helps people learn about and explore the world of chemistry. The ACS started in 1876 at New York University. Today, it has over 155,000 members. These members are chemists, chemical engineers, and others interested in science. It is one of the biggest science groups in the world.

The ACS is a non-profit organization. This means it uses its money to support its goals, not to make a profit. Its main office is in Washington, D.C. Many staff members also work in Columbus, Ohio.

The ACS shares scientific information in many ways. It publishes science magazines and holds big meetings. It also runs the Chemical Abstracts Service. This service helps scientists find chemical information. The ACS publishes more than 80 science magazines. One famous one is the Journal of the American Chemical Society. They also publish a weekly magazine called Chemical & Engineering News.

The ACS holds national meetings twice a year. These meetings cover all areas of chemistry. They also have smaller meetings about specific topics or places. A main way the ACS earns money is through the Chemical Abstracts Service. This service provides chemical information around the world.

The ACS has student groups at many universities. These groups help students volunteer and learn about careers. They also discuss new research. The organization also publishes textbooks. It gives out national chemistry awards and grants for research. It supports many learning and outreach activities too.

History of the ACS

The American Chemical Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

How the ACS Started

In 1874, some American chemists met at the Joseph Priestley House. They were celebrating 100 years since Priestley discovered oxygen. There was already a science group in the U.S. called the American Association for the Advancement of Science. But chemistry was growing fast. So, the chemists thought about starting a new group just for chemistry.

Two years later, on April 6, 1876, they met again. This time it was at the University of the City of New York. This university is now New York University. There, the American Chemical Society was officially started. The state of New York gave the society its official permission in 1877.

Charles F. Chandler was a chemistry professor at Columbia University. He helped a lot to start the society. He believed such a group would help new research. It would also bring chemists closer together. And it would help people understand science better.

Even though Chandler helped a lot, John William Draper became the first president. Draper was a chemistry professor at New York University. He was chosen because he was well-known across the country. Draper was a photochemist and a pioneer in photography. He took one of the first photographic portraits in 1840. Chandler later became president in 1881 and 1889.

The ACS logo was designed in the early 1900s by Tiffany's Jewelers. It has been used since 1909. The logo shows a special piece of lab equipment called a kaliapparat.

Growing Over the Years

The Journal of the American Chemical Society started in 1879. It was created to share new chemistry research. This was the first magazine published by the ACS. It is still a very important science magazine today. In 1907, Chemical Abstracts became its own separate magazine. Before that, it was part of the JACS. Later, it became the Chemical Abstracts Service. This part of the ACS gives chemical information to researchers worldwide. Chemical & Engineering News is a weekly magazine. The ACS has published it since 1923.

In 1890, the society changed its rules to become a national organization. In 1905, the American Chemical Society moved its main office. It moved from New York City to Washington, D.C. The U.S. Congress gave the ACS a special permission in 1937. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it. The ACS headquarters moved to its current spot in downtown Washington in 1941.

How the ACS is Organized

Different Divisions

The ACS started technical divisions in 1908. These divisions help scientists who work in specific areas of chemistry. They also help those with special professional interests. These groups organize talks at ACS meetings. They publish books and other materials. They also give out awards and hold other events. The first five divisions were:

• Organic chemistry
• Industrial chemists and chemical engineers
• Agricultural and food chemistry
• Fertilizer chemistry
• Physical and inorganic chemistry

As of 2016, the ACS has 32 technical divisions.

Organic Chemistry Division

This is the largest division within the ACS. It celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008. The first leader of this division was Edward Curtis Franklin. This division helped create Organic Syntheses, Inc. and Organic Reactions, Inc. It still works closely with both groups.

The Organic Division organizes special talks and poster sessions. These happen at the twice-yearly ACS National Meetings. They recognize promising professors and talented young researchers. They also honor great work from junior chemists in organic chemistry. The sessions also celebrate national award winners. These include the Arthur C. Cope Award and the James Flack Norris Award.

The division helps organize meetings like Pacifichem. It also puts on the National Organic Chemistry Symposium (NOS) every two years. This event shows new discoveries in organic chemistry. It also hosts the Roger Adams Award speech. The division helps get money from companies to give scholarships. These scholarships are for PhD students and college students. It also organizes a research symposium for graduate students. And it manages awards and travel grants for college students.

Local Sections Across the U.S.

Local sections were allowed starting in 1890. These are independent groups of the American Chemical Society. They choose their own leaders. They also pick people to represent them at the national ACS organization. Local sections help members grow in their careers. They organize events for the community. They also give out awards and do other important work. The Rhode Island Section was the first local ACS group. It started in 1891. Now, there are 186 local sections. They are in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

International Chapters

International Chemical Sciences Chapters allow ACS members outside the U.S. to meet locally. They can share scientific ideas and professional tips. There are currently 24 International Chemical Sciences Chapters around the world.

Learning and Outreach Programs

Chemistry Education and Community Outreach

The ACS helps science teachers improve their skills. This helps them teach chemistry better in the classroom. It also helps spark curiosity in young people. This encourages future generations to choose science careers. In 2009, Clifford and Kathryn Hach gave $33 million to the ACS. This money helps continue supporting high school chemistry teaching.

The society sponsors the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). This is a competition to choose the four students who represent the U.S. at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).

The ACS Division of Chemical Education creates standardized tests. These tests are for different areas of chemistry. The most common tests are for college-level general and organic chemistry. Each test has 70 multiple-choice questions. Students have 110 minutes to finish the exam.

The ACS also approves chemistry programs at colleges. A student who finishes the required lab and class work is considered well-trained by the society. This prepares them for professional work.

The ACS organizes two public awareness events each year. These are National Chemistry Week and Chemists Celebrate Earth Week. These campaigns have been celebrated since 1978 and 2003. Each year has a special theme. For example, "Chemistry Colors Our World" (2015) and "Energy: Now and Forever!" (2013).

Green Chemistry Institute

The Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) helps spread "green chemistry and engineering" around the world. Green chemistry means designing chemical products and processes that reduce or remove harmful substances. The GCI holds an annual meeting called the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference. It also gives research grants and awards. It provides information and support for green chemistry to teachers, researchers, and businesses.

The GCI started in 1997 as a separate non-profit group. Chemists Joe Breen and Dennis Hjeresen founded it. They worked with the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2001, the GCI became part of the American Chemical Society.

Petroleum Research Fund

The Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) is a special fund managed by the ACS. It supports advanced learning and basic research in oil and fossil fuel areas. This research happens at non-profit schools and labs. The fund offers different types of grants for various career levels. In 2007, the fund gave out over $25 million in grants.

The PRF started when a group of oil companies bought the Universal Oil Products lab in 1931. In 1944, the companies set up a trust fund called The Petroleum Research Fund. This was to avoid legal problems related to their UOP assets. The ACS was named the group that would benefit from this trust. The first grants from the PRF were given in 1954. In 2000, the trust was given to the ACS. The ACS then created The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. The old trust was then closed. In December 2014, the PRF trust was worth $144.7 million.

Other Programs

The ACS International Activities is where the ACS International Center began. This is an online place for scientists and engineers. They can find information about studying abroad or working internationally. The site has details on many scholarships and grants. These are for all levels of experience. They help researchers and professionals move around the world in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

The society allows college students to become student members. They pay $25 each year. Any university can start its own ACS Student Chapter. These chapters get benefits like joining regional meetings and discounts on ACS publications.

Awards and Recognition

National Awards

The American Chemical Society gives out 64 national awards, medals, and prizes. These awards recognize scientific achievements at different career stages. They celebrate great work across all areas of chemistry. The ACS national awards program started in 1922. That's when the Priestley Medal was created. This is the highest award given by the ACS. It is for outstanding contributions to chemistry. The 2019 winner of the Priestley Medal was K. Barry Sharpless.

Other Special Awards

Other awards are given by different divisions and local sections of the ACS. The William H. Nichols Medal Award was the first ACS award to honor great researchers in chemistry. It started in 1903 by the ACS New York Section. It is named after William H. Nichols, an American chemist and businessman. He was one of the original founders of the ACS. More than 100 people have won the Nichols Medal. Of those, 16 later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Willard Gibbs Award is given by the ACS Chicago Section. It started in 1910 to honor Josiah Willard Gibbs. He was a professor at Yale University who created the phase rule.

The Georgia Local Section of ACS has given the Herty Medal since 1933. This award recognizes excellent chemists who have made big contributions to their fields. Chemists who have lived in the southeastern United States for at least 10 years can be considered. This includes chemists in universities, government labs, or industry.

The New York Section of ACS also gives Leadership Awards. These are the highest honors from the Chemical Marketing and Economic Group of ACS NY. They have been given since December 6, 2012. They are presented to leaders in business, investments, and other areas. They are honored for their help with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) projects. Past winners include Andrew N. Liveris (Dow Chemical) and P. Roy Vagelos (Regeneron, Merck).

The ACS also gives regional awards each year at regional meetings. These include the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society. There are also Regional Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching. And the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences.

See also

In Spanish: Sociedad Estadounidense de Química para niños

• Reagent Chemicals (Reagent ACS), rules for chemical purity
• ACS style, the ACS's way of writing citations
• Chemical Abstracts Service
• National Chemistry Week